Dreams That Breathe
by Tina D. Kirk
Summary: The Sailor Scouts face an enemy that has the ability to attack them in their dreams.


Dreams That Breathe  
By Tina D. Kirk  
  
Notes from the Author: The attacks I have tried to get straight for both Japanese and American fans. Please do not hunt me down for any mistakes that you might find. Also, I do not own Sailor Moon. Thank you.  
  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~  
Darkness covered the city. Those that slept, slept deeply.   
All was quiet where the Sailor Scouts lived their not-so-ordinary lives. They all slept without dreams.  
  
Darien slept as well. Only, he dreamt.  
The lone young man had had dreams since his parents had been killed. He still dreamed, even after he had found the Moon Princess he had been searching for. His dreams as of late had been pleasant. Darien knew that it was because of her; Serena had made his life happy again.  
  
Darien began to toss and turn. His dreams were no longer pleasant. They were monstrous! He cried out in his sleep, but still, did not wake.  
Suddenly, he stilled.  
-... She has me...-  
  
***  
  
Sleeping, Serena was suddenly pulled into a dream. She was in a throne room that held a massive throne, a skinny, long-haired girl seated on it.  
  
"Welcome, young warrior." The girl said. Serena looked closely at her. The girl had long, dark blue hair and a staff in her left hand. "I'm so glad you could make it."  
  
"Who are you?" Serena found herself asking.  
  
"Why, I am Escalytiva, a Dream Snatcher from Orises." The girl said, almost sneering. "I have brought you here to challenge me."  
  
Serena gasped. "This is a dream, right? Challenge you?"  
  
"Yes. Your little friends should be here shortly." Just as the words left Escalytiva's lips, Mina, Lita, Amy, and Raye appeared next to Serena.  
  
"Guys!" Serena said.  
  
Amy looked around with shock. "Where are we?"  
  
Mina stared. "Am I dreaming?" The blonde pinched herself. She flinched from the pain. "I must be awake then..."  
  
"Don't be so sure, Sailor Venus." Escalytiva sneered. The Scouts that had just been brought in realized that she was there. Escalytiva went on, "You all are still asleep in your bodies. My dream powers have allowed me to bring you here, to this room, to where things are quite real. And it is with those powers that I hold a hostage."  
  
"A hostage?" Serena repeated. Escalytiva waved her hand and there appeared Darien, unconscious and in bonds at the foot of Escalytiva's throne. The girls gasped and Serena took a step forward. "Darien!"  
  
Escalytiva laughed wickedly. "Just to make sure you brats do indeed battle me, your beloved Tuxedo Mask will be the prize!" She glared at Serena. "Now hurry up and transform, or I will hurt him!"  
  
***  
  
Serena looked at the others. "Guys, we have no choice! Please, transform!"  
  
Raye, Mina, and Lita nodded, but Amy disagreed. "What if this is a trap?"   
  
"What does it matter?!" Serena demanded. "Amy, she has Darien! She'll hurt him!" Serena shook her head. "I don't care about any trap. All I care about is Tuxedo Mask's safety!" Serena put her hand in the air. "MOON COSMIC POWER!!!" Rainbow lights danced around Serena as she transformed.  
  
The other girls looked at each other and nodded. Escalytiva watched their every move with a twisted form of delight. The girls did as Serena had and put their hands in the air.  
  
"MERCURY STAR POWER!!!"   
  
"MARS STAR POWER!!!"  
  
"JUPITER STAR POWER!!!"  
  
"VENUS STAR POWER!!!"  
  
When the lights ended, there stood the Sailor Scouts and their leader, Sailor Moon.  
  
Escalytiva stood to her feet and clapped. "Oh, how marvelous!" Her voice was taunting. Escalytiva stopped her applause and suddenly looked very, very evil. "Now, we can begin, Sailors! Remember, if you stop, I kill Tuxedo Mask. Here we go, to the death!!!"  
Escalytiva jumped into the air towards them, Tuxedo Mask disappearing behind her.  
  
"Yikes!" Sailor Moon jumped out of the way just barely missing being hit by Escalytiva's staff. She locked eyes with her as the other Scouts backed off a little. "Where is he?" Sailor Moon cried.  
  
"You pathetic baby!" Escalytiva laughed menacingly. "I'm holding him somewhere safe. Watch what you're doing, girl!!" Escalytiva pointed her staff at Sailor Moon, and suddenly the blonde hero found herself being thrown backwards.  
  
"Aaaahhh!!!" Sailor Moon cried as she landed against a pillar.  
  
"Sailor Moon!!" It took just a second before the other Scouts were attacking.  
  
Jupiter brought her hands together. "SPARKLING WIDE PRESSURE!!!" The white energy was thrown at the Dream Snatcher. Escalytiva dodged out of the way.  
  
"MARS FIREBALLS CHARGE!!!" Sailor Mars' fire raced toward her, but again, Escalytiva moved out of the way.  
  
Escalytiva positioned herself and spun her staff. She called out, "COLLISION HALLUCINATION!!!"  
  
All four of the Scouts were suddenly frozen as the world around them melted into nothingness. They could not see each other any more, and it looked to them that they were floating in a black abyss. Each one tried moving around to get free, but to no avail. The sound around each of them suddenly rose; it was as if the awful noise was trying to shake them to death with its vibration!  
  
Escalytiva laughed. The Scouts were hanging in air in front of her, writhing and crying out, trying to get free. She lowered her staff. Her attack would surely finish them.  
  
"TIARA MAGIC!!!"  
  
Escalytiva turned just in time to find Sailor Moon's glowing tiara slamming into her waist. The tiara went... through her? Escalytiva screamed and fell to her knees, hand on her injured middle. She looked up. Standing weakly, Sailor Moon reached out as the tiara returned to her.  
  
Behind Escalytiva, the Scouts dropped to the ground, unconscious.  
  
"You are so going to be dusted!" Sailor Moon said as she placed her tiara back where it belonged. "First you wake me and my best friends up in the middle of the night... Then, you kidnap Tuxedo Mask... And then you slam me into a wall and do who knows what to the Scouts!!" Sailor Moon struck her 'speech pose'. "You are a bad dream in everyone's book, Dream Snatcher, especially mine! You have brought too many good people to harm tonight in the name of a challenge. In the name of Moon, I shall punish you!"  
  
Escalytiva could only watch in terror as Sailor Moon brought out her sceptor.  
  
"MOON HEARTACHE SPIRAL ATTACK!!!"  
  
***   
  
As Escalytiva was dissolved by Sailor Moon's attack, Darien appeared suddenly on the ground near the throne. His bonds disappeared.  
  
Sailor Moon turned and started for him, but then, everything started to fade. "What?! What's going on?!" Sailor Moon cried, becoming frantic. Everything disappeared from her eyes. "No! Darien!!!"  
  
***   
  
Serena bolted upright in her bed, panting and sweating. Everything in her room was dark.  
  
Luna, the black cat guardian, was sleeping next to her legs. The cat roused and blinked sleepy eyes at her. "What is going on, Serena? Is something the matter?" Luna asked, yawning.  
  
Serena looked down and realized that she was in her pajamas. Suddenly, she felt silly. It had all been a dream! Wait. No, more like a nightmare. -Poor Darien!-  
  
"Serena?" The cat asked again.  
  
"No... Everything's fine, Luna." Serena patted her on the head. "Get some sleep."  
  
***   
  
Just like Serena, the other Scouts woke with similar realizations. One by one, they all went back to sleep.  
  
When Darien awakened, he was so shaken by the dream that he nearly called Serena to see if she was all right, but soon realized that he was being foolish. He sat on his sofa until he fell asleep. This time, his dreams were pleasant; they were full of Serena.  
  
***   
  
Somewhere, deep in the dimension ruled by Dream Walkers and Snatchers, Escalytiva, trapped in the endless time forever, screamed.  
~~~~~~~~~   
  
  
The End  
  
  



End file.
